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Monday, December 17, 2018

Churn In Indian Muslim Community Over Feud Between Ajmer And Bareilly: Dargah Custodians Sparring Over Claims Of ‘True Sufism”

By Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, New Age Islam

10 November 2018

Shakeel Shamsi, the
regional editor of the noted Urdu daily, Inquilab has written an
interesting editorial titled “Maslaki Bughz-o-Inaad Ka Waseetar Hota
Daira” (escalating scale of sectarianism). He laments that the sectarian
conflicts among Muslims which were confined to Shias-Sunnis or later
Deobandi-Barelwis are now escalating into the slugfests between Ajmer
Dargah’s Sufis and the devout Barelwis.

The puritanical
Barelvi ulema, who call themselves ‘Reformist Sufis’ have denounced the
mystically-inclined custodians of the Ajmer Dargah calling them Badmazhab (heretics) and Gumrah (misguided) and Rawafiz
(hardcore Shias). More bluntly, in the recently concluded annual
Urs-e-Aala Hazrat in Bareilly, they have asked Sunni Muslims to boycott
visitations of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah.
jagran.com/uttar-pradesh/bareilly-city-sunni-barelvi-ulma-announce-in-aala-hazrat-urs-muslims-do-not-go-to-ajmer-18612771.html

In sharp rebuttal,
the custodians of the Sufi shrine also known as ‘Khuddam’ (those in
service) have disassociated themselves with the ‘fatwa factories’
running in name of Sufism.

In his press
statement, Ajmer Sharif's Gaddinashin Khadim Syed Sarwar Chishti said,
in a stern counter-attack, that Barelwiyat (the Barelwi creed) is not
Sufism and that it is another offshoot of religious extremism. “Their
job is just to pass Fatwas against one another”, Chishti said as
reported in Amar Ujala on November 8.
amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/bareilly/ajmer-sharif-khadim-syed-sarwar-chishti-big-statement-on-urs-e-razavi-forum-announcement

Chishti argues that
Sufism is service to people who celebrate their faiths and maintain
communal harmony. Khwaja Gharib Nawaz's humane compassion for and
reconciliation with all (Sulh-e-Kul) is the glaring example. “But their (Barelwi Ulema’s) stances do not stand for the teachings of the Sufi saint”, he avers.

In fact, on the occasion of the Urs-e-Ala Hazrat, Sayed Amin Mian, the chairperson of Khanakah-e-Barkatia
in Marahra, accused the Ajmer Sufi custodians of making objectionable
remarks against Aala Hazrat. Thus, he instructed his followers not to
visit Ajmer Sharif. This statement made headlines in the local Urdu and
Hindi newspapers, and the next day, the Barelwi ulema backed out and
declined to accept that they had issued any instructions against
visitation of the Ajmer Dargah.

This feud apart, what
deserves attention and serious deliberation is the claims that the
Barelwi movement in India has actually purged Sufism of its universal
appeal and egalitarian values. No wonder that the Barelwi muftis have
disparaged almost all contemporary Sufi-minded scholars for their
pluralistic ethos and peaceful ideas.

For instance,
Pakistani-origin Sufi scholar Dr. Tahir ul Qadri is seen as “Badmazhab”
(follower of erroneous path) for his interfaith activism in Canada and
other European countries where he frequently lectures. India’s chief
Barelvi Muftis and Qazis including Allama Ziaul Mustafa (the chief Qazi
of Barelwis in India) declared him an apostate during his lecture in a
South African Muslim congregation. Consequently, the ulema of Barelwi
faction in India and Pakistan issued several Fatwas of Takfeer
(apostasy) against him on the grounds of his inter-religious dialogue
endeavours like participating in Christmas celebrations and holding Sufi
Music congregations (Mahfil-e-Sima’a).

Such retrogressive
pronouncements or Fatwas from the Barelwi ulema were not on rise in
India until they re-ideologised themselves in blasphemy laws emanating
from Pakistan. Sultan Shahin, the founder-editor of this progressive
forum, New Age Islam, rightly points it out:

“The fact remains
that Mumtaz Quadri, the murderer of Governor Salman Taseer came from a
non-Wahhabi Barelvi sect and was incited into his act and promised
heaven in lieu of this murder by a Barelvi Mullah Hanif Qureshi. A
shrine has now been built in the outskirts of Islamabad to worship him.
Barelvis are considered Sufism-oriented and have been the main victims
of Salafi-Wahhabi attacks on Sufi shrines. The half a million people who
thronged the murderer Mumtaz Qadri’s funeral and the tens of thousands
who are visiting his so-called shrine, however, are largely from Barelvi
sect. They consider Governor Salman Taseer to be a blasphemer and his
murderer an Aashiq-e-Rasool, i.e., someone who loves the Prophet
(pbuh)…. The fact is Salman Taseer had merely called for the repeal of
this black Blasphemy law.”

Mr. Shahin also asked a pertinent question in one of his earlier editorials at NewAgeIslam.com:

“Sectarian unity is
certainly an admirable goal. The intention behind it, however, is also
very important. Wahhabi, Deobandi and Barelvi sects, who call each other
Kafir (infidel), are seeking to unite for some months now. But towards what end?”

If this ‘unity’ of
Ummah stands only for enforcement of discriminatory blasphemy laws in
Muslim countries, it is indeed matter of grave concern. Isn’t it
surprising enough that Khadim Razavi, Barelwi leader of the
Tahrik-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) spoke in unison with the ‘father of
Taliban’ Maulvi Sami-ul-Haque. The last sermon that he made to his
followers before he was stabbed to death in Rawalpindi, called for a
‘painful death’ to Asia Bibi and all blasphemers. Along with Khadim
Razavi, he also mobilized the protesters in Islamabad against Asia’s
acquittal. He had intended to join them but he could not, as reported in
New York Times.

At the same time in
India, the Barelvi-controlled institutions mourned the landmark judgment
of Pakistan’s Supreme Court acquitting an accused ‘blasphemer’.

Much earlier in 2011,
the Mumbai-based Barelwi outfit Raza Academy strongly protested in
support of Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the body-guard who assassinated Salman
Taseer. It echoed in India the vociferous support of Barelwi youths’
organization in Pakistan “Shabab-e-Islami” which first protested against
the imprisonment of Mumtaz Qadri. They loudly claimed to be “Ahle
Sunnat”, another term that Barelvi followers choose to use in the
subcontinent. In fact, the Barelwi clergy were first to disparage the
governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province for advocating reforms in Islam’s
blasphemy laws. Now they are calling Imran Khan a ‘Shaitan’ for supporting the judgment of Asia Bibi’s acquittal.

Notably, Raza Academy
had got issued a fatwa against AR Rahman for composing music, which is
un-Islamic in their view, for Majid Majidi's biopic, Muhammad: The Messenger of God.
Office bearers of Raza Academy publicly asked everyone associated with
the film to recite the Kalima and profess Islam again. They purported to
state that the entire film crew had turned apostate and hence was
obliged to reiterate their faith in Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) again. Even a
stern fatwa was issued by Mumbai’s Barelwi Qazi, Mufti Mahmood Akhtar
Qadri, the then Imam at Haji Ali Dargah.

Contrary to that, the
custodians at Ajmer Sharif Dargah as well as in various other Sufi
shrines denounced this fatwa against AR Rahman Khan. They rather hailed
the Indian legendry for composing music in ‘good faith’ and called him a
‘true believer’. Thereafter, Rahman wrote this statement: "I follow the
middle path and am part traditionalist and part rationalist. I live in
the Western and Eastern worlds and try to love all people for what they
are, without judging them”.

More to the point,
the Barelwi ulema abhor the cultural practices such as the first Islamic
month’s commemoration of Muharram known as Tazia, women’s entry to
shrines, celebration of Basant and Diwali which occur at a few Dargahs,
Sufi music known as sim’a and Sufi whirling in imitation of the
dervishes called Raqs. All this is at odds with the worldview of liberal and forward-looking Sufi custodians.

One of the
world-renowned custodians (Gaddinashins) of Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Syed
Salman Chishty who also runs Chishty Foundation based on the pluralistic
principle of "Love towards all, Malice towards none" propounded by
Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty (r.a). told this writer:

“As part of the
larger humane cause through the platform of Chishty Foundation, we
intend to promote the blessed Sufi teachings of Khawaja Gharib Nawaz,
Sufi art of Calligraphy, Sufi Poetry, Sufi music and concepts of
intertwined Spirituality and Music which is a deeper connection between
the Higher state of awareness of the Divine presence through Sama and
Qawwali–the Chishti Sufis’ food for the Soul. However, this concept is
yet to have a full vision and realization for the essence of complete
Sufi understanding and teachings.”

Chishty further says that it’s a universal message for the entire humanity that we love and respect Ashraf-ul-Makhluqat
(the best of creations i.e. Human beings) regardless of their faith and
creed. They are all equally the best creations of the One Almighty
Creator, Allah (s.w.t)

Notably, the Chishty Foundation which asserts the blessed message of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz to serve the Humanity (Khidmat-e-Khalq)
is all set to celebrate the 11th International Sufi Rang Festival 2018
as its eleventh edition towards realizing the blessed vision of the
Chishti Sufi lineage. “In today’s troubled times, we believe that the
message of the great Sufi saints is the not just a way of communication,
but rather it is an essential soft power for the solution of the 21st
century’s crises, a roadmap towards the Path of Love and Brotherhood
among the whole Humanity”, Chishty concluded.

Regular Columnist
with Newageislam.com, Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi is a classical Islamic
scholar and English-Arabic-Urdu writer. He has graduated from a leading
Islamic seminary of India, acquired Diploma in Qur'anic sciences and
Certificate in Uloom ul Hadith from Al-Azhar Institute of Islamic
Studies. Presently, he is pursuing his PhD in Jamia Millia Islamia, New
Delhi